An Indirect Proposal
by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley
Summary: In which Adrien indirectly, accidentally, sort of proposes to Marinette


It was an extremely rare Saturday where Adrien had no photoshoots, no lessons, and no events, planned for him and he was enjoying it to the fullest with Nino. After a long, luxurious, lie-in, they had met up and savoured every bit of just 'hanging out' without a worry in the world, and now they were in search of a very late lunch as their stomachs reminded them they hadn't been fed yet.

"C'mon," Nino dragged Adrien across the park, "I know a place that is cheap and does food to die for!"

Adrien followed happily, not needing much to persuade him as he was really hungry, and was mildly surprised to find himself outside of Marinette's parents' bakery. Nino entered without hesitation and was immediately greeted warmly by Marinette's Dad who was grinning behind the counter.

"What can I do for you boys?"

"Can I have my usual for two?"

"Sure thing!" within seconds Adrien found himself seated in the small seating space and a platter laden with pastries was placed before him. "Bon appetite boys!" Mr Dupain boomed cheerfully.

"Thank you Mr Dupain!"

"Tom," Mr Dupain corrected them, "Mr Dupain makes me feel old. And no problem, anything for a friend of Marinette's."

Adrien and Nino grinned up at what was honestly the coolest father that any of their classmates had. Then their ravenous hunger took hold of them and they dived into the platter like savages.

At the first bite, Adrien's eyes rolled back and fluttered to a close blissfully. " _Oh God_ ," Adrien groaned, "This is _so_ good."

"See!" Nino grinned triumphantly round his own pastry. "Told you that the food is to die for here. I'd kill my own mother for one of these babies."

"No need to be so grim," Adrien moaned as he enjoyed another bite, "besides if you killed your own mother you'd be locked away from these. No the smarter thing is to do what I want to do, marry the person who made these so you can have them every day."

"Oh _really_?"

Adrien stiffened as a gigantic shadow loomed over him. Ever so slowly he turned round and hesitatingly met the gleaming eyes of Mr Dupain. Adrien had forgotten how _big_ Mr Dupain actually was. He towered over Adrien at what felt like an impossible height and blocked the view of anything else with his bulk of muscles.

"You would _marry_ the person who made these," Mr Dupain said in a dangerously quiet voice, "huh?"

"I…erm…ah….I'm sorry!" Adrien stuttered. "I didn't mean to proposition you, sir."

Nino snickered at this and Mr Dupain suddenly broke into a wild grin. "Tom," he corrected Adrien again in a much more pleasant, cheerful, voice, "and you didn't. I wasn't the one who made these."

As there was only one other option for who could have made these pastries it quite honestly made the situation ten times worse. "I didn't mean to proposition your wife!" Adrien squeaked.

Mr Dupain chuckled at that and ruffled Adrien's hair which was quite honestly the last thing Adrien thought he was going to do. "You didn't do that either," Tom reassured him. "We have a third chief here. Now," there was a wicked gleam in Mr Dupain's eyes that made Adrien a little nervous, "do you keep your word on marrying the person who baked these pastries?"

"Erm…" Adrien murmured, "Yes?"

"Brilliant!" Mr Dupain beamed before he turned round facing the kitchen door. Adrien glanced nervously at Nino who shrugged. Taking comfort in his friend's indifference Adrien decided to take another bite of delicious pastry. "MARINETTE!" Mr Dupain bellowed which instantly caused Adrien to choke on his pastry. "COME OUT I HAVE FOUND YOU A GROOM!"

"You have found me a _what_?!" Marinette squawked. "Dad!" Marinette moaned as she barged out of the kitchen. "You have got to stop offering me up to your cu- _Meep_!"

Adrien took in Marinette's bright pink face that matched the cute, frilly, equally pink, apron that hugged her curves. Her hair was messier than usual as it tried to escape her pigtails and stuck out slightly and then there was that undeniably cute smear of flour on her cheek that looked strangely tantalising…

Adrien suddenly felt incredibly hot as his cheeks burned.

The only sound that could be heard in the bakery was Nino's sniggering…


End file.
